Erica Verrillo has written seven books and published five. She doesn't know why anyone with an ounce of self-preservation would ever want to publish. But, if you insist on selling your soul to the devil, learn how to do it right: marketing, literary agents, book promotion, editing, pitching your book, how to get reviews, and ... most important of all ... everything she did wrong.
In the interests of protecting the right to free speech, she did not vote for Trump.
#NotMyPresident

Katie, Ross Yoon’s literary agent in New York City, has worked at the intersection of content, creativity, and advocacy for her entire career—from literary magazines and major publishers to arts-based non-profits. She began her career at Writers House Literary Agency, where she also helped create their first digital rights department. Recently, she’s helped build and celebrate creative communities at CreativeMornings and Girls Write Now, where she’s experienced the transformative power of the written word first hand. She graduated from the Columbia Publishing Course and has a BA in Comparative Literature from the University of Virginia. You can find her @klz4k just about everywhere on the internet.

What she is seeking: Katie is interested in adult narrative non-fiction that catalyzes social change, challenges the status quo, gives voice to the underrepresented, and inspires improvement of all kinds—whether it’s through the lens of women’s rights and feminism, arts and design, technology, politics, social science, memoir, or pop culture.

She is not looking for fiction or children’s books.

How to Submit: Email a query letter, a proposal, and sample chapter to katie [at] rossyoon.com. I read every query and will respond to projects I’m interested in within 4-6 weeks (if not sooner!). No snail mail, please.

Sarah’s love of books was the driving force that brought her to New York City to pursue an M.A. in Literature. After that, she decided that the best way to build a career in books was as a literary agent. However, Sarah realized that she had to learn her craft and get broad-based experience if she was going to be in a position to excel. She sought out Trident, because she believed that it was the preeminent literary agency. Sarah began her career as an assistant, managing the business of two agents at Trident. She was then promoted to the position of Audio Agent. In that position, Sarah negotiated deals with audio publishers for Trident authors. Her next promotion was as a sales agent in Trident’s unique Foreign Rights Department. In this position, Sarah contacted editors at publishers around the globe to offer the works of Trident authors and negotiate deals on their behalf. With this diverse experience, Sarah is ready to become a leading literary agent at Trident. “I now have the background, coupled with my energy and passion for great stories, to offer clients both skills focused on negotiating deals and career management.”

What she is seeking: She is solely looking for women’s fiction — both commercial and upmarket. She seeks stories that are character driven, that make you think and feel. Sarah wants to take her experience and drive and match that with “stories that use a fresh voice to explore different aspects of the female experience: emotionally complex, with insights, laughter, and sometimes tears.

Thursday, August 25, 2016

There are more than two dozen free writing contests in September. As always, they span the gamut from poems to short stories, from essays to published books.

Some of these contests have age and geographical restrictions, so read the full guidelines before submitting.

Note: Many contests are offered annually. You can find a monthly list of contests here: Free Contests

________________________

PEN Prison Writing Contest. Restrictions: Anyone incarcerated in a federal, state, or county prison in the year before the September 1 deadline is eligible to enter. Genres: Poetry, fiction, drama, creative nonfiction. Prize: $200 top prize per category. Deadline: September 1, 2016.

Cheshire Prize for Literature. Restrictions: The writer must have been born, live or have lived, study or have studied, work or have worked, in Cheshire, UK. Genre: Original and previously unpublished poem or collection of poems. Prize: £2,000. Deadline: September 1, 2016.

Young Lions Fiction Award. Restrictions: Open to US citizens 35 years of age or younger. Genre: Novel or a collection of short stories published between January 2016 and December 2016. Prize: $10,000.00. Deadline: September 2, 2016.

On The Premises Short Story Contest. "For this contest, write a creative, compelling, well-crafted story between 1,000 and 5,000 words long in which the concept of “darkness” plays an important role. You may interpret “darkness” any way you want–literally, metaphorically, or any other way. Darkness doesn’t have to have a value judgment attached to it, and it doesn’t have to be symbolic in any way, although it can." Prize: Winners receive between US$60 and US$220, and publication. Deadline: September 2, 2016.

Jerwood Awards for Nonfiction. Restrictions: Those who have been resident in the UK or the Republic of Ireland for the past three years are all eligible. Genre: First commissioned works of non-fiction. Prize: £10,000. Deadline: September 5, 2016.

So You Think You Can Write held by Wattpad. Write your Canadian romance story on Wattpad. Send a 3-7 page synopsis and first chapter to the Ooooh. . . Canada! blitz. Prize: Grand Prize is a 2-book contract with Harlequin. Deadline: September 12, 2016. Read details here.

Key West Literary Seminar Emerging Writer Awards. Restrictions: Poets and writers living in the United States who have not yet published a book with a major publisher are eligible to apply. Genre: Poetry, fiction. Prize: $500.Deadline: September 12, 2016.

Shaughnessy Cohen Award for Political Writing. Genre: Book of literary nonfiction that captures a political subject of relevance to Canadian readers and has the potential to shape or influence thinking on contemporary Canadian political life. Book must be published in Canada. Prize: CAN$25,000.00. Deadline: Books published between June 15 and September 13 must be received by September 14, 2016.

Kathy Fish Fellowship for Emerging Writers. Restrictions: All writers previously unpublished in SmokeLong Quarterly and who do not have a published chapbook or book-length work in any genre (or are not under contract for such) are eligible to apply. Genre: Flash fiction. Prize: $500. Deadline: September 15, 2016.

Past Loves Day Story Contest. Genre: Short personal essay. "Nearly everyone has memories of a former sweetheart. Write your true story of an earlier love, in no more than 700 words. Tell us about someone whose memory brings a smile or a tear." Prize: $100 top prize. Deadline: September 17, 2016.

Life Lessons Essay Contest. Restrictions: Open to legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia, age 19 or older at time of entry. Genre: Personal essay. Would your world now be completely different—even unthinkable—if, at some point in the past, you hadn’t made a seemingly random choice? Tell us about it. Prize: $3,000. Deadline: September 19, 2016.

Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers Program. Restrictions: Publishers recommend writers making a strong literary debut. Authors cannot submit their own work to the program; self-published writers and titles published via print-on-demand or available only as NOOK books are also ineligible for submission. Genres: Literary fiction, short story collections and literary non-fiction, such as travel essays, memoirs, or other non-fiction with a strong narrative will be considered. Books should be intended for an adult or a young adult audience. Prize: $35,000 to six writers.Deadline: September 22, 2016.

Sunday Times EFG Short Story Award. Restrictions: The award is open to any novelist or short story writer from around the world who is published in the UK. Genre: Short story. Prize: £30,000.Deadline: September 29, 2016.

Off the Beaten Track Travel Writing Competition. Genre: Articles about a fascinating, relatively unknown place near to where you live or that you came across by chance when travelling around, or it may be a totally fictional place. Prize: £100 top prize. Deadline: September 30, 2016.

Iowa Short Fiction and John Simmons Short Fiction Awards. Genre: Short story collection. The manuscript must be a collection of short stories in English of at least 150 word-processed, double-spaced pages. Prize: Publication by the University of Iowa Press, royalties. Deadline: September 30, 2016.

L. Ron Hubbard’s Writers of the Future Contest is held four times a year. Restrictions: The Contest is open only to those who have not professionally published a novel or short novel, or more than one novelette, or more than three short stories, in any medium. Professional publication is deemed to be payment of at least six cents per word, and at least 5,000 copies, or 5,000 hits. Genre: Short stories or novelettes of science fiction or fantasy. Prizes: $1,000, $750, $500, Annual Grand Prize: $5,000. Deadline: September 30, 2016.

Lee & Low Books New Voices Award is sponsored by Lee &Low Publishers. Restrictions: The contest is open to writers of color who are residents of the United States and who have not previously had a children’s picture book published. Genre: Children's books - fiction, nonfiction or poetry. Prize: $1,000. Deadline: September 30, 2016.

Tuesday, August 23, 2016

September features three dozen writing conferences, several of which focus on how to get published. Many offer pitch sessions with agents and editors. And, of course, there are numerous workshops, speakers, critique sessions, and readings.

A few of the conferences on this list are already closed. I've included them because they are, for the most part, annual events. If you've missed a conference you'd like to attend this year, you can catch when it comes around in 2017.

Note: You can find a full list of conferences (organized by month) as well as resources to find conferences in your area here: Writing Conferences

Poets on the Coast. Sept. 9- 11, 2016, La Conner, Washington. Workshop, one-on-one mentoring, craft classes, and yoga for women poets. The faculty includes poets Kelli Russell Agodon and Susan Rich. Tuition, which does not include lodging or meals, is $395. Application Deadline: July 31, 2016.

Writer’s High Retreat. Sept. 9- 11, 2016, Young Harris, Georgia. workshops for poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers, as well as readings and talks. Participating writers include poet Clifford Brooks III, fiction writers Joshilyn Jackson and Michael Morris, and nonfiction writer Jessica Handler. The cost of the retreat, which includes lodging and all meals, is $754 for a single room and $559 for a double room until June 30, and $779 for a single room and $586 for a double room thereafter. The registration deadline is August 10.

San Francisco Writing for Change, Sept 10, 2016, San Francisco, CA. This event is for writers of nonfiction AND fiction who want to change the world for the better through their work.

The Craft and Heart of Writing Poetry for Children. Sept 11-15, 2016, Honesdale, Pennsylvania. "This workshop will offer plenty of interaction, direction, and free creative writing time. We’ll focus on all elements of poetry, from the importance of word choice to surprising metaphors. There will be plenty of writing exercises to inspire new poems followed by group discussions. As a group, we’ll brainstorm ideas, share our writing process, and generate original poems. You’ll be inspired to create new poems or bring works in progress to polish." Featured Writers Include: Rebecca Kai Dotlich, Georgia Heard, Rebecca Davis.

Kentucky Women Writers Conference, Sept. 16–17, 2016, Lexington, Ky.The Kentucky Women Writers Conference is the longest running literary festival of women in the nation. About 1,000 individuals attend the conference each year. Daytime sessions attract about 150 writers at all stages of development, and free evening events gather a lively community of readers. Most come seeking literary sisterhood, help with a manuscript, or practical advice about the publishing industry. Many are students or beginning writers. Application Deadline: August 12, 2016.

New York Pitch Conference. Sept 22 - 25, 2016, New York NY. Features publishing house editors from major houses such as Penguin, Random House, St. Martins, Harper Collins, Tor and Del Rey, Kensington Books and many more who are looking for new novels in a variety of genres, as well as narrative non-fiction. The event focuses on the art of the novel pitch as the best method not only for communicating your work, but for having you and your work taken seriously by industry professionals.Workshops, homework & pitch training, agent/editor feedback, market study, publication plan.

Environmental Writing Institute. Sept 22 - 25, 2016, Missoula, Montana. Limited to 10 participants, features three half-day workshops and individual conferences with creative nonfiction writer Seth Kantner, as well as time to write. Tuition is $500, which includes some meals. Lodging is available at area hotels and inns. Submit an application, a writing sample of 2,000 to 4,000 words, and a one-page résumé or bio. Deadline: August 1.

Chicago Writers Conference. September 23 - 25, 2016, Chicago, Ill. Join other writers, editors, publishers and agents for a weekend of learning and fun! Panels, pitch sessions, and educational talks, along with a Friday night kick-off party. Sessions on publishing, self-publishing, how to pitch, craft of YA, meet the publishers, websites, nonfiction, and many more.

The Pacific Northwest Workshop & Retreat. Sept 23 - 25, Santa Cruz, CA. Intensive seminar offers editor or agent feedback on selected whole-novel manuscripts, including two in-person consults with your mentor. Editor and agent critiques on your polished, opening chapters. Faculty includes Peter Knapp, agent at Park Literary, and Kate Farrell, Senior Editor at Henry Holt Books for Young Readers.FILLED.Tallahassee Writers Conference. Sept 24, 2016, Tallahassee, Florida. "Whether you are a beginner or an advanced writer of poetry, fiction, or nonfiction, you will have the opportunity to mix and mingle with other writers, editors, agents, cover designers, publishers and more!"

10th Annual Chattahoochee Valley Writers Conference. Sept 24, 2016, Columbus, GA, "Whether you write prose or poetry you can explore capturing thoughts, observations, and reflections with the written word. The sessions will be criticism free. You will be exposed to various writers and their styles, and work on editing, polishing and expanding writings into something that is reflective of your personality and talents. You should leave with a piece of original work and a sense of writing as an avenue to discovering self."

Thursday, August 18, 2016

These eight agents are looking for writers of graphic novels. Each is from an established agency with a solid track record. Be sure to read the agency website for details before submitting.

If you are not sure whether your query letter will grab an agent's attention, go to Query Shark. Agent Janet Reid does an excellent job of explaining how queries do and don't succeed (with great examples).

IMPORTANT: You should NEVER query an
agent without checking the agency website first. Submission
requirements change, and agents may close their lists, or switch
agencies.

Good luck!

Note: You can find a complete list of over 100 new and established agents seeking clients here:Agents Seeking Clients

Tamar Rydzinski worked at Sanford J. Greenburger Associates prior to joining the Laura Dail Literary Agency. She graduated from Yeshiva University in 2003 with a major in literature and a minor in business.

How to Submit: Send a query to queries [at] ldlainc [dot] com. Put “Query for Tamar: [Title]” in the subject line. In the query, include publisher submission history and previous publishing credits, if applicable. (If you are a debut author, do not worry.) After your query letter, paste the first 5-10 pages of your novel into the body of the e-mail. No attachments. Pasting a synopsis is also fine, but not mandatory.

Veronica Park is an agent, author, journalist and marketing consultant with more than ten years of experience writing and editing for publication. She graduated with a BA in print journalism with an emphasis in linguistics and business marketing from Brigham Young University and went on to expand her writing skills as a broadcast journalist and independent film producer, before running away with her husband to work on cruise ships in the Caribbean as a port lecturer and luxury goods marketing specialist.

What she is looking for: “I would love some MG/YA graphic novels, or even just graphic artists who are interested in collaborating on a graphic novel with another author.”

How to Submit: Please query Veronica Park by e-mailing query [@] corvisieroagency.com and putting “Attn: Veronica Park – Query – [BOOK TITLE]” in the subject line. She prefers to see your query letter, synopsis and 15-20 page sample pasted into the body of the e-mail. For bonus points, include links to your social media profiles in your e-mail signature, and a brief description of your writing career goals.)

Gordon Warnock is a founding partner at Fuse Literary, serving as a literary agent and Editorial Director of Short Fuse Publishing. He brings years of experience as a senior agent, marketing director, editor for independent publishers, publishing consultant, and author coach. He frequently teaches workshops and gives keynote speeches at conferences and MFA programs nationwide. He is an honors graduate of CSUS with a B.A. in Creative and Professional Writing.

What he is seeking: Interested in all types of graphic novels and books — adult, young adult, middle grade, graphic memoir, and graphic nonfiction.

How to Submit: Please query via email at querygordon [@] fuseliterary.com. Please paste in the first chapter below your query. Unsolicited attachments and links will not be opened.

Anjali Singh started her career in publishing in 1996 as a literary scout. Most recently Editorial Director at Other Press, she has also worked as an editor at Simon & Schuster, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and Vintage Books. She is is best known for having championed Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis after stumbling across it on a visit to Paris.

What she is looking for: Seeks graphic novels for any age, but the book would need to have the narrative depth to be published on a mainstream list.

Bernadette Baker-Baughman has a MS in Professional Writing and has worked on both the editorial and marketing sides of publishing. As the Marketing Coordinator for Beyond Words Publishing/Atria Books, she headed up campaigns for two New York Times best-selling titles. In 2005 Bernadette co-founded Baker’s Mark Literary Agency where she discovered talent such as Farel Dalrymple, Faith Erin Hicks, Paul Guinan & Anina Bennett, Dan Elconin, David Axe, Carson Morton, and Zack Giallongo, among others.

What she is looking for: Considers all categories in the graphic novel genre.

How to Submit: Send a query letter with a detailed description of the work, along with any sample artwork. Queries should be pasted into the body of the message to queriesvsa [@] gmail.com. Only accepts queries via e-mail.

Before joining Hill Nadell, Dara spent over a decade as an editor and rights and permissions manager at independent publisher Grove Atlantic in New York. A graduate of Bard College, Dara has always balanced her love of film and literature. At the agency she assists with foreign and film rights for the whole agency in addition to managing her own clients.

Dara has taught or spoken at a number of writers’ conferences and events, including 826LA, Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, New Orleans Writers’ Conference, Pima Writers’ Workshop, PubWest, BinderCon, Long Beach Comic Expo, and the UC Riverside MFA program in Creative Writing.

What she is looking for: “I do take on a limited amount of graphic novels and memoirs in the adult and YA categories. I’m looking for unique properties with a strong visual and storytelling style that would have appeal to a wide range of readers, including those new to the genre. I prefer that the artist/writer team is already assembled or that the creator is both, and want to see a fully realized pitch with sample script pages and art, or even better a completed project.”

How to Submit: Send your query letter and opening pages to queries [@] hillnadell.com. For security purposes, please do not include any attachments unless specifically requested. Please copy and paste the first five to ten pages in the body of the email below your query letter.

Linda Camacho joined Prospect Agency in 2015 after nearly a decade in publishing. After graduating from Cornell University, Linda interned at Simon & Schuster and Writers House literary agency, and worked at Penguin before happily settling into children's marketing at Random House.

She has an MFA in creative writing from the Vermont College of Fine Arts.How to Submit: Send a query letter, 3 sample chapters, and a brief synopsis through the online submissions form.

Sam worked at the literary magazines Blood & Aphorisms and The Quarterly in the 90s. He ran the edgy micropublisher, Gutter Press, from 1993 to 2002, as publisher. He launched the literary division of The Lavin Agency in 2003, where he built a list of clients and did his first deals.How to Submit: Send queries to sam [@] therightsfactory.com.

Tuesday, August 16, 2016

Every so often, Chuck Sambuccino, the editor of the Guide to Literary Agents, runs a free contest called "Dear Lucky Agent." These contests allow writers to submit one page of their manuscript to be judged by an agent.

Winners of the contest have a more than good chance of getting representation. It's good to enter contests, not just because you may win one, but because they force you to write short summaries and synopses, and to polish your first few pages until they shine. These are usually the only pages an agent will see before making a decision. (Sometimes they only read a paragraph.)

The contest deadline is Wednesday, August 24, 2016. CLICK HERE for more details.

After a previous “Dear Lucky Agent” contest, the agent judge, Tamar Rydzinski (The Laura Dail Literary Agency), signed one of the three contest winners. After Tamar signed the writer, she went on to sell two of that writer’s books! How cool! That’s why these contests are not to missed if you have an eligible submission.

ANDREA MORRISON of Writers House started in the California office in 2009 as an intern to Steve Malk, and she has been in love with publishing and the company ever since. In NYC, she first learned under Brianne Johnson, and then went on to assist Rebecca Sherman and Geri Thoma.

She’s had the opportunity to work closely with a variety of best-selling and award-winning authors and illustrators, in genres ranging from picture books to middle grade and YA, to adult literary fiction and nonfiction. She is now actively building her own list of clients. Andrea studied literature & writing at University of California, San Diego and earned her MFA in fiction from Columbia University.

WHAT TO SUBMIT (AND OUR SOCIAL MEDIA REQUIREMENTS)

The first 150-250 words (i.e., your first double-spaced page) of your unpublished, completed book-length work of young adult (no high sci-fi or high fantasy, please). You must include a contact e-mail address with your entry and use your real name. Also, submit the title of the work and a logline (one-sentence description of the work) with each entry.

Please note: To be eligible to submit, you must mention this contest twice through any any social-media. Please provide a social-media link or Twitter handle or screenshot or blog post URL, etc., with your official e-mailed entry so the judge and I can verify eligibility. Some previous entrants could not be considered because they skipped this step! Simply spread the word twice through any means and give us a way to verify you did; a TinyURL for this link/contest for you to easily use is http://tinyurl.com/z7e9rsc.

An easy way to notify me of your sharing is to include my Twitter handle @chucksambuchino at the end of your mention(s) if using Twitter. If we’re friends on FB, tag me in the mention. And if you are going to solely use Twitter as your 2 times, please wait one day between mentions to spread out the notices, rather than simply tweeting twice back to back. Thanks. (Please note that simply tweeting me does not count. You have to include the contest URL with your mention; that’s the point. And if you use Twitter, put my handle @chucksambuchino at the middle or the end, not at the very beginning of the tweet, or else the tweet will be invisible to others.)

Here is a sample TWEET you can use (feel free to tweak): New FREE contest for writers of Young Adult http://tinyurl.com/z7e9rsc Judged by agent Andrea Morrison of Writers House, via @chucksambuchino

Thursday, August 11, 2016

These fourteen agents are seeking memoirs right now. So if you have written a memoir, this is a good opportunity for you.

Memoir submissions are similar to fiction submissions. The agent wants to know that you have written a compelling story, with all the features of fiction - story arc, character and plot development, and, of course, an ending.

Make sure your query will grab the attention of an agent! Before you submit, go to Query Shark, a website maintained by agent Janet Reid. This is a fabulous resource for writing query letters. (Bottom line: Will your query make the agent want to read your book?)

IMPORTANT: You should NEVER query an
agent without checking the agency website first. Submission
requirements change, and agents may close their lists, or switch
agencies.

She is drawn to both domestic and far-flung settings (while remaining on Earth) that are original and transporting. She is looking for fresh, lyrical, and voice-driven writing, suspenseful plots, emotional narratives, and unforgettable characters.

What she is looking for: “I’m really looking for distinctive stories and strong voices that read like fiction.”

How to Submit: “I prefer e-mail and like the query letter and first 10 pages pasted into the body of the e-mail.” Send queries to epatterson [@] bromasite.com. Query letters should be no more than two pages and should include a convincing overview of the book project and information about the author and his or her writing credits. If querying Emma, do not query Emily, also on this list.

​Rob Kirkpatrick has worked as a senior editor at multiple publishing houses for more than a dozen years. Titles he has helped publish include The Wrecking Crew: The Inside Story of Rock and Roll’s Best-Kept Secret; Shrinkage: Manhood, Marriage, and the Tumor that Tried to Kill Me; Clothes, Clothes, Clothes. Music, Music, Music. Boys, Boys, Boys. (Viv Albertine); Vagos, Mongols, and Outlaws (basis for the miniseries Gangland Undercover); The Peasant Prince: Thaddeus Kosciuszko and the Age of Revolution; The Agent: My 40-Year Career Making Deals and Changing the Game (Leigh Steinberg); Big Hair and Plastic Grass: A Funky Ride Through Baseball and America in the Swinging ‘70s; Snakes! Guillotines! Electric Chairs! My Adventures in the Alice Cooper Group; The Kennedy Chronicles: The Golden Age of MTV Through Rose-Colored Glasses; Black Noon: The Year They Stopped The Indy 500; Cohn-Head: A No-Holds Barred Account of Breaking Into the Boys Club (by ESPN’s Linda Cohn); and Jerry Rice’s latest book, 50 Years, 50 Moments. Rob completed a PhD in English and also is the author of several books himself.

What he is seeking: “I am interested specifically in memoirs from authors who bring significant media platforms or institutional connections that would enable publishers to project a substantial target audience.”

How to Submit: Submissions should be sent directly to rob [@] stuartagency.com and include a query letter in the body of the email along with an attached proposal that provides a description, table of contents, sample chapter or full manuscript (if available), and any relevant professional credentials, including publication and sales data (if available) for any previously published books.

Gordon Warnock is a founding partner at Fuse Literary, serving as a literary agent and Editorial Director of Short Fuse Publishing. He brings years of experience as a senior agent, marketing director, editor for independent publishers, publishing consultant, and author coach. He frequently teaches workshops and gives keynote speeches at conferences and MFA programs nationwide. He is an honors graduate of CSUS with a B.A. in Creative and Professional Writing.

What he is seeking: “No misery memoirs or spiritual journeys.”

How to Submit: Please query via e-mail at querygordon [@] fuseliterary.com. Please paste in the first chapter below your query. Unsolicited attachments and links will not be opened.

Alexis Hurley started her career in 1998 and has been at InkWell since its inception in 2004. Alexis works in the dual capacity of Co-Director of Foreign Rights and agent of domestic works in the areas of literary and commercial fiction, memoir, narrative non-fiction and more. She is a native of the Berkshires and a graduate of Dickinson College where she received her BA in English and Art History and a minor in Italian.

How to Submit: Queries should be emailed to submissions [@] inkwellmanagement.com. Write “Query for Alexis: [Title]” in the subject line. In the body of your e-mail, please include a query letter and a short writing sample (1-2 chapters). Emails with large attachments will be discarded.

Prior to becoming an agent, Chris worked as an editor for several New York publishing houses, including Hachette Book Group and Random House, and helped launch an independent publishing company. As an editor she acquired and edited works of narrative nonfiction, autobiography and memoir, inspiration, Christian interest, sports, humor, current events and fiction, including bestselling titles such as Time Magazine journalists Nancy Gibbs and Michael Duffy’s The Preacher and the Presidents and NFL quarterback Brett Favre’s Favre. Chris has a degree in English from Harvard University.How to Submit: Chris only accepts submissions by e-mail. Please send all queries to cpsubmissions [@] foundrymedia.com. Include a query letter, sample chapters, table of contents, and author bio. Please include your name and project title in the subject line. “Foundry does accept attachments, but your e-mail will bounce back if the files are too large, so you may also paste your materials in the body of the e-mail.”

Jessica Papin first joined DGLM in 2003, after spending eight years as an editor at Warner Books (now Grand Central). In 2004, she moved to Egypt, where she spent three years working for the American University in Cairo Press. Upon her return to the United States, she rejoined Dystel and Goderich. With a background on both sides of the desk, she loves working collaboratively with clients to shape and refine their work. Her stay in the Middle East has given her an abiding interest in the history and politics of the region, as well as the broader Islamic world.

How to Submit: Query by e-mail to jpapin [@] dystel.com. Paster cover letter in the body of the e-mail. Include a synopsis, outline, sample chapter (one chapter or the first 25 pages of your manuscript) either below the cover letter or attached as a separate document. Does not open attachments if they come with a blank e-mail.

Anjali Singh started her career in publishing in 1996 as a literary scout. Most recently Editorial Director at Other Press, she has also worked as an editor at Simon & Schuster, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and Vintage Books. She is is best known for having championed Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis after stumbling across it on a visit to Paris.

What she is looking for: “I’m seeking memoirs that are specifically from a minority perspective or deal with diversity in some way.”

Vanessa graduated from York College of Pennsylvania in May of 2015 with a degree in English literary studies and a minor in professional writing. Vanessa was Managing Editor of her college’s undergraduate literary magazine for two years, where her love of literature thrived, and her passion for the publishing world was created.

How to Submit: Please query Vanessa Robins by e-mailing query [@] corvisieroagency.com and putting “ATTN: Vanessa Robins–Query [Book Title]” in the subject line. Vanessa prefers if you write a brief query letter in the body of your e-mail and attach a 1-2 page synopsis and the first five pages of your manuscript to the e-mail in separate Word .doc files. Your query letter should include links to any social media or author websites.

Jennifer De Chiara is President of The Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency, which she founded in 2001. Before forming the agency, she was a literary agent with two established New York agencies, worked in the editorial departments of Simon & Schuster and Random House, and was a writing consultant for several major corporations. A New York City-based writer, she is a frequent guest judge for the WRITER’S DIGEST, WOW! WOMEN ON WRITING, and THAT FIRST LINE writing contests, among others, and is a frequent guest lecturer on publishing and the art of writing at universities and writers conferences throughout the country, which have included New York University’s Summer Publishing Institute, the Penticton, Canada Writers Conference, the San Diego State University Writers Conference, Backspace, the International Women’s Writing Guild, and the Learning Annex.

What she is looking for: “I love anything and everything Hollywood, especially celebrity bios/autobiographies. I’m always looking for beautifully written memoirs about people who have overcome incredible odds, books about the arts and performing arts, behind-the-scenes-type books, and books about popular culture.”

How to Submit: Please email a query to jenndec [@] aol.com and put “Query” in the subject line of your e-mail. Please attach the entire proposal as a Word document (the proposal should include a sample chapter), along with a one-paragraph bio and a one-paragraph synopsis of your book in the body of your e-mail.

Carrie Pestritto joined Prospect Agency in 2011 after working as an assistant at Writers House. With a B.A. in English from Amherst College, she has experienced all sides of the publishing industry, having worked as a ghostwriter, freelance writer, and as an intern in the editorial acquisitions department of the Greenwood Publishing Group. As an agent, she loves the thrill of finding new authors with strong, unique voices and working closely with her clients to develop their ideas and manuscripts.

How to Submit: Upload submission through the agency’s online submissions page. Do not query by mail or e-mail.

Based in upstate New York, with a BA in English literature from UC San Diego, Roz studied philosophy for a year at the University of Sheffield, U.K., and earned her MA in English, with an emphasis in composition & rhetoric and creative writing, from Portland State University. At PSU, she taught writing in exchange for tuition. She began learning French in 2009. Roz spent over five years as a qualitative researcher in high-tech consumer products marketing. In 2008, she co-founded a web design company for which she provided non-profit organizations with audience-focused market research, project planning, and digital design. She joined SDLA in 2013.

How to Submit: Send queries to roz [@] dijkstraagency.com. Please send a query letter, an overview of your project (including a chapter outline), a brief bio (including a description of your publishing history), a description of competing books, and the first 10-15 pages of your first chapter. “If we are interested, we will ask you to send your complete proposal. Please send all items in the body of the e-mail, not as an attachment.”

Erin Niumata has been in publishing for over twenty-four years. She started as an editorial assistant at Simon and Schuster in the Touchstone/Fireside division for several years; then moved over to Harper Collins as an editor, and then she went to Avalon Books as the Editorial Director. Erin has edited many authors including Leon Uris, Stuart Woods, Erica Jong, Brenda Maddox, Lawrence Otis Graham, Joan Rivers, and more. She has represented NY Times Bestselling cowboy romance writer Carolyn Brown, pet expert Sandy Robins, Discovery Channel’s Fast N Loud, North America and Cash Cab; TLC’s – The Cake Boss and Extreme Couponing; Animal Planet’s Too Cute, Finding Big Foot, River Monsters and Puppy Bowl; inspirational speaker Josh Shipp, graffiti artist/speed-painter/inspiration speaker Erik Wahl, momadvice.com founder Amy Clark, former gangster turned dog groomer James Guiliani, Skin care expert and co-founder of SoKo Glam Charlotte Cho, actress Angela Featherstone, Greenwich Girl founder Laura McKittrick and many more. She’s worked on 28 NY Times Bestsellers.

How to Submit: Please submit queries to erin [@] foliolit.com. Please include the query letter and first ten pages of your manuscript or proposal in the body of the e-mail. Please be sure to write “QUERY” in the e-mail subject line.

Sam worked at the literary magazines Blood & Aphorisms and The Quarterly in the 90s. He ran the edgy micropublisher, Gutter Press, from 1993 to 2002, as publisher. He launched the literary division of The Lavin Agency in 2003, where he built a list of clients and did his first deals.

Emily Forland represents voice-driven literary fiction and non-fiction, among them bestsellers and prize winners, and has a special place in her heart for original writing that jumps off the page. Equally drawn to a traditional domestic novel as she is to more idiosyncratic work, she seeks out beautifully crafted writing, characters that come fully alive on the page, and stories rooted strongly in their setting.

How to Submit: Send queries to eforland [@] bromasite.com. Query letters should be no more than two pages and should include a convincing overview of the book project and information about the author and his or her writing credits. If querying Emily, do not query Emma, also on this list.

Tuesday, August 9, 2016

Here are six established agents looking for clients. Each has years of experience and an impressive track record.

Before submitting to these agents, go to the agency website and read everything on it. Look at the titles they have represented to see if your book would be a good fit. And, of course, read the agent's bio before submitting.

You can also google the name of the agent to see if there are any interviews posted. These can provide valuable information on what the agent likes to see in a book, as well as what they respond to in a query letter.

If you have any doubts about your query letter, go to Query Shark. Literary agent Janet Reid has provided invaluable critiques of query letters, which are instructive even to seasoned old hands.

Allison Hunter began her publishing career in 2005 working for the Los Angeles-based literary publicity firm Kim-from-L.A, and was an agent at InkWell Management and the Stuart Krichevsky Literary Agency before joining Janklow & Nesbit. Allison’s clients include bestselling novelists, memoirists, journalists and various experts in their field. She was also thrilled to work with InkWell client Lena Dunham on her bestselling memoir NOT THAT KIND OF GIRL.

What she is looking for: Allison is actively acquiring literary and commercial fiction, especially women's fiction, as well as memoir, narrative nonfiction, cultural studies and pop culture. She is always looking for funny female writers, great love stories, campus novels, family epics, and for non-fiction projects that speak to the current cultural climate.

How to submit: For fiction submissions, send an informative cover letter, a brief synopsis and the first ten pages. If you are sending an email submission, please include the sample pages in the body of the email below your query. For non-fiction submissions, send an informative cover letter and a full outline to submissions@janklow.com.

Courtney Miller-Callihan founded Handspun Literary Agency in 2016, after more than ten years with Sanford J. Greenburger Associates. She is a hands-on editorial agent whose eclectic list includes historical fiction, women’s fiction, romance, mysteries, YA novels, humor, and practical nonfiction.

A graduate of the University of California, Santa Cruz (B.A., Literature), and Johns Hopkins University (M.A., English), she lives in San Diego with her family, and travels frequently for meetings and conferences.

For nonfiction, Courtney represents work targeting all age groups (children and adults). Though she will consider nonfiction on any topic, work that deals primarily with issues of religion or spirituality is unlikely to be a good fit.

She is not currently accepting new middle-grade, early reader, or picture book submissions.

For fiction: please send a query letter, short synopsis (5 pages or less), and the first three chapters or 50 pages of the novel, whichever is more. For nonfiction: please send a query letter and proposal.

About Linda: Before moving to Emerald City Literary Agency, Linda worked at Jennifer DeChiara Literary Agency for 4 1/2 years, where she represented titles like Bill Konigsberg’s award winning YA novels, Openly Straight, The Porcupine of Truth, and Honestly Ben; Joe McGee’s hilarious zombie picture book Peanut Butter and Brains, and Natasha Sinel’s well received The Fix.

What she is looking for: Linda represents picture books, middle grade and young adult fiction, and children’s nonfiction. She does not represent adult literature at all.

How to submit: Send a short query letter to QueryLinda@EmeraldCityLiterary.com. Tell me a little bit about your manuscript and a little bit about you, not more than one page long. Include the first 20 pages of your manuscript in the body of the email, following your query. If you’re sending a picture book, please include the full text of the manuscript in the body of the email. Do not send any attachments.

About Chris: Chris Bucci is a literary agent, director, and full partner at The McDermid Agency. He represents bestselling authors such as Bob Rae, Timothy Caulfield, Susan Delacourt, Jowita Bydlowska, James Grainger, and Kerri Sakamoto. Most recently senior editor at McClelland & Stewart, he worked primarily with nonfiction, bringing to the M&S catalogue the likes of Alain de Botton, Christopher Hitchens, Paul Watson and Sir Martin Gilbert. He began his career at the University of Toronto Press and soon became an acquisitions editor in social sciences and cultural studies. Bucci joined HarperCollins Canada in 2003 as a nonfiction editor. Moving to M&S in 2004, Bucci helped revitalize the McClelland & Stewart nonfiction program, establishing relationships with international authors, agents and publishers.

What he is seeking: Literary fiction, mysteries, thrillers, historical fiction, commercial literary fiction and narrative nonfiction. For nonfiction, he seeks popular science, sports, popular culture, politics, essays, and history.

How to submit: Please email info [at] mcdermidagency.com with a query letter, which should include a brief description of yourself and your project. You are welcome to include the first 10-15 pages of your manuscript pasted into the body of the email. Please do not send any further material unless invited to do so.
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About Lisa: Lisa Gallagher joined DeFiore & Company Literary Management Inc., as a literary agent in 2014, after working at Sanford J. Greenburger Associates for five years. She has more than twenty years of publishing experience and insight from both sides of the Atlantic, and now as an agent, being a champion of authors and their work continues to be her passion. Formerly SVP & Publisher, William Morrow (an imprint of HarperCollins), Gallagher published many New York Times bestselling novelists including Tom Franklin, Neil Gaiman, Joe Hill, Christopher Moore, Sena Jeter Naslund, Dennis Lehane, Laura Lippman, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, James Rollins, Marisa de los Santos and Neal Stephenson, as well as non-fiction blockbusters like Marley & Me and Freakonomics. Prior to joining William Morrow in 2000, Gallagher was Associate Publisher at Bloomsbury USA, following a move to New York from Bloomsbury’s London office in 1998. Gallagher was educated at St. Catharine’s College, Cambridge, UK.

What she is looking for: She is actively seeking new clients both in fiction and non-fiction, who are great storytellers, delivering both narrative urgency and dramatic tension, combined with multi-faceted characters and a transporting sense of place.

How to submit: "Please submit your manuscript or proposal to lgsubmissions@defliterary.com as a word document: double spaced, 12pt, Times New Roman. I will do my best to read and respond to you within six weeks of receiving your submission. Unfortunately, due to the volume of submissions received, I am unable to respond to every one personally, so if you haven’t heard from me at all by then, it means that I am unable to offer you representation. It is acceptable to make multiple submissions to different agencies – just let me know – and if you get an offer of representation from another agent before hearing back from me, I would be grateful if you could let me know by sending an email with the subject line “Offer received”. Thank you very much."

About Annette: In a career spanning more than 30 years, Annette has worked in high-profile positions in some of the UK and USA’s most successful publishing companies. She has worked with some of the top bestselling authors in the world, touring overseas with Elizabeth George, Dennis Lehane and Frances Fyfield, amongst others.

What she is looking for: "We are always on the lookout for exciting new work and we welcome submissions across all relevant genres by email."

How to submit: With your submission, please include your name, address, phone number, title of the material. All material should be emailed as Microsoft Word attachments. Downloadable material, e-books, or links to any such items are unacceptable. For fiction please send a synopsis and three sample chapters (50 pages or fewer) and for non-fiction send a letter outlining your intentions. No radio/theatre/TV scripts, poetry, SF/Horror genres, or short stories. Response time 12 weeks.

Thursday, August 4, 2016

These nine literary agents are looking for thrillers. Each is from an established agency with a solid track record. Be sure to read the agency website for details before submitting.

If you are not sure whether your query letter will grab an agent's attention, go to Query Shark. Agent Janet Reid does an excellent job of explaining how queries do and don't succeed (with great examples).

Good luck!

IMPORTANT: You should NEVER query an
agent without checking the agency website first. Submission
requirements change, and agents may close their lists, or switch
agencies.

Note: You can find a complete listing of over 100 new and established agents seeking clients here:Agents Seeking Clients
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Victoria was born and raised in Queens, New York and graduated from the City University of New York, Queens College. Before joining the Bent Agency, she completed internships at Serendipity Literary and the Carol Mann Agency.

What she is looking for: Crime fiction and atmospheric, haunting domestic thrillers.

How to Submit: Send queries to cappelloqueries [@] thebentagency.com. Tell Victoria briefly who you are, about your book, and why you’re the one to write it. Include the title of your project in the subject line of your email. Then paste the first ten pages of your book in the body of your email (not as an attachment, please).

Carrie Pestritto joined Prospect Agency in 2011 after working as an assistant at Writers House. With a B.A. in English from Amherst College, she has experienced all sides of the publishing industry, having worked as a ghostwriter, freelance writer, and as an intern in the editorial acquisitions department of the Greenwood Publishing Group.

What she is looking for: “I am looking for thrillers, but am looking for more high-concept thrillers aimed at a female audience rather than police procedurals, etc.”

How to Submit: Upload submission through online submissions page. Do not query by mail or email. Include a synopsis and query letter with your email and contact information at the beginning of the manuscript body (3 chapters or first 30 pages).

Bernadette Baker-Baughman has a MS in Professional Writing and has worked on both the editorial and marketing sides of publishing. As the Marketing Coordinator for Beyond Words Publishing/Atria Books, she headed up campaigns for two New York Times best-selling titles. In 2005 Bernadette co-founded Baker’s Mark Literary Agency where she discovered talent such as Farel Dalrymple, Faith Erin Hicks, Paul Guinan & Anina Bennett, Dan Elconin, David Axe, Carson Morton, and Zack Giallongo, among others.

How to Submit: Send a query letter with the first three chapters (or about 25 pages) pasted into the body of the message to queriesvsa [@] gmail.com. Only accepts queries via e-mail. Query letters should describe the project and the author in the body of a single, one-page e-mail that does not contain any attached files.

Kimberly is a graduate of both California State University, Northridge and Loyola Law School, Los Angeles. Although she loves all things romance, she is also searching for books that are different and will surprise her, with empathetic characters and compelling stories.

What she is looking for: She seeks mysteries and thrillers for both adult and YA.

How to Submit: Include a query letter, a full synopsis (this should summarize the entire book), and your first chapter (pasted into the email, double spaced). Please submit to Kimberly [@] rfliterary.com.

Michelle Brower began her career in publishing in 2004 while studying for her Master's degree in English Literature at New York University. During that time, she worked with the agents Wendy Sherman and Joelle Delbourgo. After graduating, she became an agent at Wendy Sherman Associates where she began representing books in a variety of areas within fiction and non-fiction.

Recent books Brower has represented include: The House Girl (William Morrow 2013) by Tara Conklin, aNew York Times bestseller, #1 Indie Next Pick, and Target Book Club Pick; The Book of Speculation by Erika Swyler (St Martins 2015), which was a Barnes & Noble Discover Pick and Amazon Debut of the Month; The Girl Who Came Home (William Morrow 2014) by internationally bestselling author Hazel Gaynor; as well as the New York Times bestseller The Returned by Jason Mott (MIRA 2014), which was the basis of the ABC television series "Resurrection."

What she is looking for: “Sub categories I’m looking for are psychological suspense, literary suspense, thrillers with an international bent, and suspense with a touch of the supernatural (but only a touch). Nothing that involves the CIA or terrorism or evil corporations.”

Veronica Park is an agent, author, journalist and marketing consultant with more than ten years of experience writing and editing for publication. She graduated with a BA in print journalism with an emphasis in linguistics and business marketing from Brigham Young University and went on to expand her writing skills as a broadcast journalist and independent film producer, before running away with her husband to work on cruise ships in the Caribbean as a port lecturer and luxury goods marketing specialist.

What she is looking for: “I’m mostly interested in thrillers with a strong romantic element and/or modern political angle. (Female MCs a plus; not a huge fan of Jason Bourne.)”

How to Submit: Please query Veronica Park by emailing query [@] corvisieroagency.com and putting “Attn: Veronica Park – Query – [BOOK TITLE]” in the subject line. She prefers to see your query letter, synopsis and 15-20 page sample pasted into the body of the email. For bonus points, include links to your social media profiles in your email signature, and a brief description of your writing career goals.

Jessica Papin first joined DGLM in 2003, after spending eight years as an editor at Warner Books (now Grand Central). In 2004, she moved to Egypt, where she spent three years working for the American University in Cairo Press. Upon her return to the United States, she rejoined Dystel and Goderich. With a background on both sides of the desk, she loves working collaboratively with clients to shape and refine their work. Her stay in the Middle East has given her an abiding interest in the history and politics of the region, as well as the broader Islamic world.

What she is looking for: She seeks dark, twisty literary thrillers

How to Submit: Query by email to jpapin [@] dystel.com. Paster cover letter in the body of the email. Include a synopsis, outline, sample chapter (one chapter or the first 25 pages of your manuscript) either below the cover letter or attached as a separate document. We won’t open attachments if they come with a blank email.

Mitch Hoffman joined the Aaron Priest Literary Agency as a Senior Agent in 2015. A 20-year veteran of the publishing industry, he was most recently Vice-President, Executive Editor at Grand Central Publishing.

How to Submit: Please submit a one page query letter via e-mail. Please do not send attachments. However a first chapter pasted into the body of an e-mail query is acceptable. Send queries to queryhoffman [@] aaronpriest.com.

How to Submit: Query by email only to agent [@] ethanellenberg.com. Paste all materials into the body of the email in the order mentioned below: a brief query letter, a synopsis (1-2 pages long), the first 50 pages (approximately) of your manuscript. No attachments.